Tuscarawas County

Tuscarawas County, Ohio — key demographics

Population size

• 93,263 (2020 Census)
• 2023 Census Bureau estimate: roughly stable at just under 94,000 (minimal net growth since 2020)

Age

• Median age: about 41 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~50.6%
• Male: ~49.4%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS estimates; Hispanic is any race)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~90–91%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~3–4%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~3–4%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~0.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~0.3%

Households and housing

• Households: ~36,800
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~66% of households; married-couple households ~49%
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73% (renters ~27%)
• Median household income: about $60,000
• Poverty rate (people): ~12–13%

Insights

• Demographics are older than the state average and overwhelmingly non-Hispanic White.
• Population growth has been flat over the last decade.
• High owner-occupancy and a median household income below the Ohio statewide median.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year; 2023 Population Estimates Program). Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

Tuscarawas County, OH (population ~92,700; ~162 people/sq mi) shows broad email adoption centered along the I‑77 corridor (Dover–New Philadelphia) with thinner coverage in rural townships.

Estimated email users: ~71,000 residents age 13+.

• Age distribution of users: 13–17: ~4,800 (7%); 18–34: ~17,600 (25%); 35–54: ~24,000 (34%); 55–64: ~10,800 (15%); 65+: ~14,100 (20%).
• Gender split among users: 51% female (36,300) and 49% male (34,700), reflecting near-parity adoption.

Digital access and usage trends:

• Household broadband subscription: ~84% of households.
• Computer access at home: ~86% of households; smartphone-only internet: ~15% of households.
• Daily email checking: ~60% of users check multiple times per day; near-universal usage among working-age adults, with strong growth among 65+ but still trailing younger cohorts.

Connectivity facts:

• Fixed broadband ≥25/3 Mbps is available to the vast majority of residents; ≥100 Mbps service is widespread in Dover–New Philadelphia and along I‑77 but remains inconsistent in rural southern/eastern areas.
• Median age ~42 supports high email reliance for healthcare, schools, and local employers, reinforcing email as the county’s default digital channel.

Tuscarawas County, Ohio: mobile phone usage snapshot and how it diverges from state-level patterns

Core user estimates (2024 best-available modeled figures)

• Population baseline: ~93,000 residents; ~79,000 are age 13+.
• Smartphone users (age 13+): ~71,800 (about 91% of residents age 13+).
• Mobile phone users of any kind (age 13+): ~75,000.
• Households: ~37,000; households with at least one smartphone: ~33,000; smartphone-only internet households (no fixed home broadband): ~6,000–7,000.

Demographic breakdown of smartphone use (modeled from county age structure and current U.S. adoption rates)

• Teens 13–17: ~5,300 users (very high adoption, ~95%).
• Adults 18–29: 11,700 users (97%).
• Adults 30–49: 22,600 users (97%).
• Adults 50–64: 16,700 users (90%).
• Seniors 65+: 15,400 users (79%). What stands out vs. Ohio overall
• Older skew, lower senior adoption: Tuscarawas has a higher share of residents 65+ than the Ohio average; senior smartphone adoption (high-70s%) drags the county’s overall rate slightly below Ohio’s.
• More “smartphone-only” households: A larger slice of households rely on a cellular data plan as their primary internet, stronger than the statewide pattern, reflecting rural geography and patchier fixed broadband options.
• Income and plan mix: With a lower median income than the Ohio median, the county shows comparatively higher reliance on prepaid and budget plans and on hotspot usage, especially outside the Dover–New Philadelphia area.

Geographic usage patterns in-county

• Urban core vs. rural townships: New Philadelphia–Dover (about one-third of the county’s population) shows near-saturation smartphone use and heavier 5G traffic. Rural southern and southeastern townships see more LTE-only connectivity and greater smartphone-only internet dependence.
• Commute corridors: Daily mobile use is concentrated along I‑77 (Bolivar–Dover–New Philadelphia–Strasburg) and US‑250/US‑36, with higher app, navigation, and streaming load during peak travel.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Network availability: All three national carriers operate countywide; 5G coverage is strongest in and around Dover–New Philadelphia and along I‑77, with LTE as the fallback in hillier, sparsely populated areas.
• Terrain effects: Valleys and ridgelines create localized dead zones and signal variability in rural townships, a more pronounced effect than in much of Ohio’s flatter metro counties.
• Fixed alternatives shaping mobile use: Limited fiber-to-the-home outside municipal cores and legacy DSL/cable pockets drive mobile hotspot use and smartphone-only households. Fixed-wireless home internet (5G-based) has grown since 2022 around the I‑77 corridor, easing some reliance on metered smartphone data near towns but less so in outlying areas.
• Emergency and public-safety coverage: Improvements along major corridors have narrowed gaps, but volunteer-fire and EMS districts still report spotty handheld coverage in certain hollows—an infrastructure constraint not as typical in Ohio’s large metros.

Trends that differ most from Ohio statewide

• Higher smartphone-only internet dependence, tied to rural last‑mile constraints and income mix.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration due to a larger 65+ population share.
• Greater LTE persistence and slower 5G expansion off-corridor; performance is more terrain-limited than the state norm.
• Higher prevalence of prepaid/budget plans and hotspot substitution for home internet.

Notes on method

• User counts are 2024 modeled estimates derived from county population and age structure, applying current U.S. smartphone adoption rates by age. Household smartphone and smartphone-only figures are inferred from American Community Survey patterns for similar non-metro Ohio counties and adjusted to Tuscarawas’s demographics and infrastructure profile.

Tuscarawas County, OH — Social media usage snapshot

Population baseline

• Population: 93,263 (2020 Census); adult (18+) share ≈ 77% of residents
• Gender: ≈ 50.7% female, 49.3% male

Overall social media reach (modeled for residents age 13+)

• Any social media: ≈ 74% of 13+ use at least one platform
• Adults 18+: ≈ 72% use at least one platform
• Teen 13–17 usage is very high (~95%), but the county skews older, keeping the overall rate below large-metro averages

Age mix of social media users (share of county social users)

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–24: 13%
• 25–34: 17%
• 35–44: 17%
• 45–54: 16%
• 55–64: 14%
• 65+: 14%

Gender split among social media users

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%
• Notes: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X

Most-used platforms in the county (share of residents age 13+, monthly; modeled)

• YouTube: ~75%
• Facebook: ~60–62%
• Instagram: ~40–45%
• TikTok: ~36–40%
• Snapchat: ~28–32%
• Pinterest: ~27–30% (majority female)
• WhatsApp: ~15–20%
• X (Twitter): ~16–20%
• LinkedIn: ~15–18% (strongest among 25–44, white-collar)
• Reddit: ~13–17%
• Nextdoor: ~5–8% (limited neighborhood coverage in smaller municipalities)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, school closings, high school sports, churches, fairs, and buy/sell/trade groups drive heavy engagement. Marketplace is a top traffic source for used vehicles, tools, and farm/garden items.
• Video leads attention: YouTube dominates for how‑to, DIY, outdoor, auto, home repair, and church livestreams. Short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) performs best for local food, salons, fitness, and event promos.
• Youth split: Teens and 18–24 lean Snapchat and TikTok for daily communication and discovery; Instagram is key for sports, fashion, and local venues. Facebook usage rises rapidly after age 30.
• Timing: Engagement peaks weeknights 7–10 pm; secondary peaks Sun 12–3 pm and Fri midday. Weather events and school announcements create sharp, short spikes in Facebook traffic.
• Content that converts: Practical value (coupons, limited‑time offers, event reminders), before/after visuals, and locally recognizable faces outperform generic creative. Community‑centric posts (fundraisers, local teams, fairs) earn above‑average shares.
• Trust signals: Local reviews, UGC, and owner‑on‑camera videos increase response. Hard political content depresses engagement outside election windows; neutral civic info performs well.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are primary DM channels; many small businesses close sales via Messenger after initial Marketplace discovery.
• Jobs: Facebook groups and local pages are effective for hourly and skilled‑trade hiring; LinkedIn performs for professional roles but has a smaller local pool.

Notes on method and sources

• Population and gender from U.S. Census (2020 decennial).
• Usage rates are modeled estimates by applying Pew Research Center 2023–2024 platform adoption by age/gender to Tuscarawas County’s age structure (ACS-style rural profile) and adjusting modestly for rural broadband adoption. Figures represent likely monthly users among residents age 13+.